Upwardly mobile Defoe digs deep to score in the Jockey Club Stakes

Defoe utilised every ounce of his stamina at Newmarket on Saturday when running out an impressive winner of the Group 2 Jockey Club Stakes, and suggested that an elite level contest is within his reach this year.

The four-year-old, who made a successful reappearance to land the Group 3 Dubai Duty Free Finest Surprise Stakes last month, looked in trouble as Red Verdon tried to snatch victory along the standside rail.

But once he hit top gear under jockey Andrea Atzeni, Defoe swept to the front to record a comfortable three and three-quarter length victory from Red Verdon and Count Octave.

A progressive type, Defoe was bred by Darley and is the first foal out of the winning Pivotal mare Dulkashe. In turn, Dulkashe is a half-sister to the Listed-placed and winning Akira with the pair being out of an unraced half-sister to Group 3 winner Husyan. This is also the family of multiple Group performer and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe second Mubtaker.

Dulkashe has since moved on from the Darley breeding division as she was purchased in foal to Shamardal for 90,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale in 2015 by Faisal Al-Thani.

Several months after that purchase she delivered a colt by Shamardal, subsequently named Ghanim, and is also the dam of a yearling filly by Toronado.

Defoe is a son of top performer Dalakhani, an Aga Khan homebred trained by Alain De Royer-Dupre to win the Criterium International, Prix Lupin, Prix du Jockey-Club and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe over the course of two seasons on the track.

Dalakhani retired to Gilltown Stud in County Kildare for the 2004 breeding season where he spent 12 years before crossing the channel to stand at the Aga Khan's French base Haras de Bonneval in 2016.

The 18-year-old son of Darshaan, who was pensioned from stud duties in 2016, has supplied top-level scorers such as Moonstone, Conduit and Reliable Man.

Defoe is one of seven winners to be produced on the Dalakhani and Pivotal cross, that has also yielded Group 3 scorer Fantastic Moon.

Victory for Defoe capped off a good period for Pivotal as he was also the sire of Mabs Cross, winner of the Group 3 Palace House Stakes earlier on the card.

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